There are tons of great rewards credit cards out there. With banks restricting sign-up bonuses to one per lifetime or limiting approvals to folks who have 5 or fewer applications in 24 months, people in this hobby have to be more strategic about their credit card applications. That being said, there are credit cards out there that, really, everyone should get. Here are my picks for 6 no-brainer credit cards:
1 – Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express
Getting the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card is an absolute no-brainer. With Marriott and Starwood set to merge next year, the SPG program will be discontinued. So it’s really the best time to pick up an SPG card since SPG has lower redemption rates than Marriott, allowing you to stretch this card’s sign-up bonus pretty far.
Also, SPG points transfer to Marriott 3:1, making top-tier Marriott properties more accessible than ever. Or perhaps you want to save up for a Marriott Air + Hotel award. Either way, the SPG card is very valuable. Since you can only get the sign-up bonus once and the SPG card/loyalty program will be discontinued at some point, there’s really no good reason not to get this card.
2 – Starwood Preferred Guest Business Card from American Express
The SPG business credit card is a no-brainer for the same reasons the personal version of the card made this list. Get it while it’s still around and reap the rewards. There’s really no downside to it…unless you’re holding out for a Sapphire Reserve card and don’t want to hit 5/24. But is that worth doing? I think two SPG card sign-up bonuses are better than one 50k Chase bonus, so I would not wait it out.
3 – Chase Freedom Unlimited
The Chase Freedom Unlimited has a lot going for it: $0 annual fee and it earns 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent. Well, not exactly. Technically it earns 1.5% cash back, but if you have another Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card, then you can convert your cash back rewards to Ultimate Rewards points. Which brings me to my next point…
4 – A Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning Credit Card
“But which card?” That totally depends on your budget, spending patterns, and travel goals. If I could only keep one Ultimate Rewards credit card, I’d keep my Chase Ink Plus. That card isn’t available to new applicants anymore, so I think the Chase Ink Business Preferred is a decent alternative. But what if you prefer a personal credit card? Then I’d go with either the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve and my recommendation is totally dependent on your circumstances.
5 – A 2% Cash Back Card
I know, it’s getting vaguer and vaguer, but a $0 annual fee 2% cash back card is a no-brainer. It offers generous rewards that can be applied towards paid travel, point purchases, or a new washer/dryer. The great thing is you can keep renewing it because there is no annual fee. My personal favorite? The Fidelity Rewards Visa. But whenever I mention it, people leave comments wondering why I’m leaving the Citi Double Cash Card out of the loop. So I’m giving it a shoutout here!
Another awesome cash back card that I’ve personally gotten great value out of? The Discover It Miles Card. Not only does it earn 3% cash back during the first year, but it has no annual fee and comes with an annual $30 in-flight wifi credit. So you’re getting paid to keep this card. Love it!
6 – IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card
You can’t have a no-brainer credit cards list without the IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card. It continues to carry one of the lowest annual fees out there ($49) in exchange for a very generous annual reward: A free night certificate good at any IHG hotel. Use it at a fancy European hotel or the local Holiday Inn. Chances are, you’ll get more than $49 of value out of it.
These are my picks for no-brainer credit cards. I’d love your input. Which credit cards do you think everyone should get (and possibly keep) at some point?
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